Bethoven´s Monnlight Sonata History - 569 Words

Beethoven’s first movement from his infamous Moonlight Sonata is most illustrious for its bittersweet melancholic sound. It is in the key of C# minor as it has four sharps in its key signature and sounds like it is in the minor tonality. Beethoven gives an indication to how the performer should interpret their role with the phrase adagio sostenuto which means to play at a slow tempo (66 beats per minute) and to effectively utilize the sustained pedal. Sempre e senza sordino means to the whole piece ought to be played with the utmost delicacy and without damper. From the interpretations of his instructions, it can be concluded that Beethoven wanted this movement to be interpreted with sensitivity and colour. The bass line is a prominent feature in texturizing the movement. The most distinctive characteristics in the bass line are its Neapolitan chords which are strategically placed amidst chords of double octaves. This prevents the movement sounding too much like a lullaby and adds more colour and tension. The movement starts out pianissimo and diverges between pianissimo and piano to maintain a soothing sound. Its luxurious ostinato triplet melody creates a lullaby-like feeling within the piece. However, the melancholic tone is instilled within the 3rd bar where the d natural within the triplet melody stands out. This adheres to the purpose of advancing the momentum of the piece as the lowered d provides variation in the triplet melody so it is not as repetitive. To